1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to urine leg drainage bag supporters. More specifically, this invention is directed to belt-supported urine bag supporters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Those individuals who are afflicted with certain urological diseases so that the urinary tract is blocked or loses its ability to retain the natural discharge of urine from the body are usually provided with a device for collecting and storing the urine. A common method comprises fitting the patient with an indwelling urinary bladder drainage catheter which is connected by means of a long extension tube to a vinyl urine collecting bag. The collecting bag is usually carried by hand when the patient is in a standing position. When the patient is in a sitting position or when the patient wishes to free his/her hands, the bag is usually hung or otherwise attached to a chair or table edge. As is apparent, this type of urine collection device severely limits the type of clothing the patient can wear in conjunction therewith. More importantly, the appearance which such a device presents in public causes embarassment, anxiety and emotional distress in the patient.
In another type of conventional urine collection device, a much smaller vinyl collection bag is used. The bag is rectangular in shape and is provided with an inlet in the top portion thereof and a drain valve in the bottom. The open end of the indwelling urinary bladder catheter is connected to the inlet of the bag which has disposed therein a flutter valve for the prevention of back flow of the urine into the body. The urine enters the bag through the top inlet and is drained from the bag through the bottom twist valve which is usually formed of a rigid plastic material. The bag usually can hold about 300 ml of urine. The bag is normally held to the thigh of the patient by means of two one-inch elastic rubber straps. Although this type of collection device can be hidden from view underneath of the patient's clothing, the device suffers from some severe disadvantages. First, the rubber straps have the tendency to curl up and roll down the patient's leg. This problem is intensified as the bag becomes more filled with urine. Pulling or tugging of the catheter causes pain, irritation and even bleeding in the bladder. Second, the rubber straps if worn for an extended period of time cause primary skin irritation due to the pressure, heat, friction and lack of air circulation between the straps and the patient's skin. Third, since the straps are elastic, they are incapable of holding up the weight of the bag as it is filled with urine, even if the straps lay flat against the patient's thigh and are positioned high up on the thigh. Also as a consequence of the elastic nature of the straps, the position of and tension on the straps must be constantly adjusted as the bag fills with urine. On the other hand, if the straps are stretched too tightly around the leg, this may cause leg pain as well as restrict blood circulation in the leg. Fourth, if the bag becomes too full and the straps fail, the bag may fall, thus causing a spill out of the urine or inflicting severe pain in the patient as the indwelling catheter is subjected to a sharp outward pull.
Furthermore, the positioning of the urine bag flat against the patient's thigh has numerous disadvantages. The large surface area of the bag in constant contact with the skin can cause irritation, chafing, itching and even infection. Small amounts of urine leaked from the catheter/bag inlet connection can seriously complicate the problem. As the bag fills, the urine is collected at the bottom portion thereof, causing the bottom portion to bulge and forcing the lower edge of the bag to curl inwardly, i.e. toward the patient, which forces the rigid drain valve to press against the patient's skin. This pressure increases as the bag becomes more filled. It has also been found that when the bag, which usually has a capacity of about 300 ml, is filled to about 75 ml, the weight becomes too great for the rubber straps to hold the bag firmly which leads to shifting or sliding of the bag and pain in the patient. This leads to inefficient use of the bag volume. Moreover, continuous shifting and moving of the bag are accompanied by constant pulling or tugging on the catheter attached thereto. Such constant movement of the catheter can produce irritation along the inner surface of the urinary bladder which, in turn, may cause chronic bleeding. This bleeding may directly contribute to infection of the bladder, prostate, urethra and cystotomy stoma or opening. Because of the filling of the bag and the increase in weight, the range of motion of the leg trunk and body of the patient is progressively restricted. Even when the patient is in a horizontal position, when the bag becomes half full, it begins to shift and pull therewith the attached catheter which leads to bladder spasms, pain, loss of sleep, etc. Furthermore, when the bag is filled to capacity overnight, it will have shifted to rest on the mattress. As a result, the bag is without any effective support when the patient struggles to rise and empty the bag. Each motion causes movement in the bag which is accompanied by sharp pain as the bag pulls on the catheter which moves within the bladder cavity.
From the above description, it is clear that the conventional method of securing a urine bag to the patient's thigh by means of elastic straps is highly painful to the patient and needs much improvement. The present invention is made to correct all of the above defects found in connection with the conventional method.